Samuel Ferriss, 85, was a decorated war veteran

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, December 5, 2007

A lifelong resident of New Milford, Mr. Ferriss was born on Oct. 29, 1922, the son of Samuel Boynton Ferriss and Pearl (Schultz) Ferriss.

He was a member of one of the town's oldest families and a direct descendant of Zachariah Ferriss.

As a young man he was accepted for admission to the South Kent School in South Kent. He liked to recall that during his time at South Kent School he was called upon to manage the school hockey team.

He suspected he was chosen, in part, because he knew how to deal with the uncertainties of ice-making, a skill he had learned from his Dad while working in the family ice business.

Mr. Ferriss faced the challenges presented by South Kent School's strict discipline and "no nonsense" approach and learned to appreciate the value of his education. He credited his teachers there with having instilled in him a life long interest in geography and history, which served him well in later life.

At the onset of World War II he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps, was trained as an Armorer/Gunner and assigned as a Nose Turret Gunner in a Consolidated B-24 Liberator Bomber.

He served with the 15th Air Force and completed 35 combat missions, flying out of Italy (Cerignola) across the Adriatic Sea to enemy targets in Southern Germany, Romania, and the Balkans.

He was discharged in 1945 following his tour of duty in Europe and in 1947 he rejoined the US Army Air Corps Reserves. He had attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was assigned as an instructor in the Intelligence field.

In November of 1949 he received a direct commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Intelligence Division of the US Air Force and when the Korean War began he was recalled to active duty.

He was later assigned in the United States to Air Defense Command and to Bangor Air Force Base in Maine.

The decorations he earned during his time in service to his country included the Korean Service Medal, National Defense Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and Air Force Longevity Service Award with two Oak Leaf Clusters. In March of 2007 he was awarded the new Connecticut Veterans Wartime Service Medal.

Following his retirement from the US Air Force in 1963 Captain Ferriss returned to New Milford and began a second career with the US Post Office. In 1983, after 20 years of service in New Milford, he again retired.

In addition to his wife of 39 years, he is survived by his son Samuel B. Ferriss III of Seattle, Wash.; four stepdaughters, Barbara and her husband Tim Tuskas of Hinckley, Ohio, Jeannie Hepburn of Torrington, Lillian Green of St. Petersburg, Fla. and Donna Tuz of Greenville, Texas; seven step-grandchildren; and four step-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a brother-in-law, Walter Evensen and his wife Joan of Timonium, Md. and their family. He was previously married to the late Ann Schooner Morey.